Don't Cry Any Longer
by Spalding R. Willows
Summary: Post Blood Drops Catherine is upset when she finds out that child services will be coming to her house. GCR


A/N: hey everyone! this is my first fic, so don't expect something wonderful, but i did try... anyway... i don't own CSI because if i did Cath and Gris would be together by now. I hope y'all enjoy this and even if you don't, please review...

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Romance/Drama – PG

POST BLOOD DROPS/ GC

Don't Cry Any Longer

"Hey…" Catherine said, poking her strawberry blonde head into Grissom's office.

"Hello…" he replied, his azure eyes diverting from Nick, who was standing in the corner of the room, to her cruelean ones.

"I'm not interrupting am i?" She asked, stepping completely into the room.

"No ma'am," Nick stated, gazing from his supervisor to Catherine. "Uh, I, um…"

"Nick weren't you going to help Sara with that… uh…"

"Oh yes… that… uh… thing…"

"Have fun…" Catherine said, her eyes thanking him for letting her talk to Grissom alone.

The squad has just finished working a quadruple homicide that resulted in a teenager and her boyfriend killing her parents and two brothers. If that only wasn't heartbreaking, further investigation proved that the reason she killed them was to protect her young daughter who was being sexually abused by her father.

"Tough case…"

He raised his eyebrow as she sat in the chair across him. "But that's not why you're here, is it Catherine?"

She sighed glancing away from her partner and at her feet instead. "I need tomorrow off…"

"That's fine with me…"

"Thanks…" she replied standing and walking slowly to the door, running her nails through her wavy locks.

"Cath…" she turned to face him, tears brimming her eyes and threatening to fall. "What's wrong?" He asked, leaping to his feet and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's nothing…" she croaked, her voice ready to crack at any moment.

"Cath, I've known you too many years now to know that this isn't just nothing…" she sighed, attached once again to his blue eyes that were shades lighter than her own.

"Eddie…" she started, trying to regain her composure before saying anything else.

"Catherine," he spoke slowly, taking her face in his hands and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He looked deep into her eyes and saw only pain. "Catherine, what did he do to you?"

"He…" she looked down at the floor, not trusting her voice to say anything else.

"Catherine, look at me…" she obeyed, lifting her eyes to his once again. "Did he hit you?"

She shook her head and he sighed, happy that he hadn't physically hurt her again. So, if that wasn't the problem, what was? Slowly, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a paper folded into thirds.

"What is it?" he questioned.

"Open it…" she whispered.

Child Services? Edward Willows has filed a complaint of child neglect against Catherine Willows. Because of the long hours required at her job, Catherine failed to pick her daughter, Lindsay, up from dance class several times.

"They're coming to my house tomorrow Gil…" she whispered so softly, he hardly heard her.

"Why? Why would he do this to you Catherine?"

"They have to make sure Lindsay's happy at home…"

He pulled her to him as warm tears silently slid down her cheeks and plummeted on his shirt. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, knowing that she needed him now more than ever. It was one thing to get divorced from her husband, but taking her daughter away would completely brake her heart. As his hands touched her warm skin, she broke out into open sobbing. Nick and Sara walked past the window, eyeing Grissom questioningly. When they saw Catherine crying into his chest, they nodded knowing that something must have been really bothering her.

"Catherine… don't worry… your love for Lindsay is as apparent as Nick's crush on Sara…" she stopped crying at his gently spoken words and he felt her smile into his chest. "They can't take her from you dear… I promise… besides, it's not like Eddie could do better raising her…"

She lifted her head to connect with his eyes and let out a nervous laugh. "How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?"

"It's one of my hidden talents," he smiled as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Thank you…" she replied after several minutes of awkward silence and planting a short kiss on his cheek. She turned to leave, but his arm remained firmly around her waist. Gil Grissom had never been good with women and it surprised him that he was even holding Catherine Willows in his arms. His insides fluttered like a little boy, his brain unsure if he should do what his heart was telling him to do.

In any other circumstance, his brain would have easily won over his heart, but this was Catherine. Catherine Willows, was his best friend, a woman that he had been working alongside for ten years now, not to mention the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes on.

Without another thought, he pulled her to him, kissing her firmly on the lips. She was taken completely off guard; this was something she'd never expect Gil Grissom to do.

"I, uh…" he stammered, drawing regretfully away from her after realizing what he had done. To his surprise, however, she smiled and kissed him back. Unlike his awkward kiss, it seemed more comfortable the second time. He couldn't help but smile into the kissas he deepened it.

Outside his office, Sara, Nick, Warrick, and Greg were watching with their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open.

"Damn it!" Warrick cursed under his breath.

"Yeah! It's about time!" Nick smiled at Sara, who laughed back at him.

"Sara and Nick won!" Greg pouted as the four watched their two supervisors make out.

Sara smiled sweetly at Warrick and Greg, "I believe you owe each of us 50 bucks boys…"

A/N: i used my cuz's spell check on this one, so if something's wrong yell at her. :-D So now that you've read it, you can review! Thanks everybody!


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